The Atlantic: Pro Wrestling is fake, but its race problem isn't

[mortuus est]

Let's not make this a general "everyone gets screwed over" thing. Shelton Benjamin had plenty of momentum for a World Title run and even had a win over Triple H and they killed that momentum with that Mama Benjamin garbage. Or MVP was given that losing streak storyline and even when he was able to get over as a face despite losing so much, they still didn't do anything for him. Kofi was getting major pops during his Orton feud but he hasn't recovered since then due to terrible booking.

Man i dunno, how many black champs do we need? do they all have to have the belt? can we not be content with bobby lashley and who ever had the belt after him?

the way i see it is, when the right guy comes then we will get it right

 

[Bud Bundy]

Vince really doesn't care. He's done blatantly racist stuff for decades now. And just like any other white person, he'll think that giving a token black person an opportunity will all of a sudden remove the stigma. And I can imagine the types of discussions going on at other wrestling forums.



Hayes is just part of the problem. Most of the people backstage share his beliefs but he's the most vocal. It's a systemic problem.

I can only hope it changes with the new generation of writers.

 

[The Electric Lady]

Uncle Grime

Your Euro colors are showing.

 

[mortuus est]

@ that article. That was a long time coming. What scares me more is what we don't see. How many black road agents, writers and trainers do they have? The situation isn't going to get better until the people in the back that shape the direction of the company are diverse.

isnt norman smiley a trainer in wwe?

not being funny but if their isnt enough people trying to get in then why should they need them?

 

[mortuus est]

Uncle Grime

Your Euro colors are showing.

how lol? im just giving more thought to the discussion

 

[mrken12]

Man i dunno, how many black champs do we need? do they all have to have the belt? can we not be content with bobby lashley and who ever had the belt after him?

the way i see it is, when the right guy comes then we will get it right

The right guy has come along many times. But my biggest pet peeve for reasons given for why a black wrestler hasn't been given a main event push is "he wasn't good enough". Guys like Kofi, Shelton Benjamin, Mark Henry, and MVP all had the tools to be a World Champion. And all of those guys were very over with the crowd at one point.

 

[The Electric Lady]

The right guy has come along many times. But my biggest pet peeve for reasons given for why a black wrestler hasn't been given a main event push is "he wasn't good enough". Guys like Kofi, Shelton Benjamin, Mark Henry, and MVP all had the tools to be a World Champion. And all of those guys were very over with the crowd at one point.

This goes back over 30 years too. Junkyard Dog didn't even see that main event picture despite being over as fukk.

 

[I'm Billy FUCO!!]

"In its 62 year history, WWE has never chosen a black wrestler to hold its world championship. "

 

[mortuus est]

The right guy has come along many times. But my biggest pet peeve for why a black wrestler hasn't been given a main event push is "he wasn't good enough". Guys like Kofi, Shelton Benjamin, Mark Henry, and MVP all had the tools to be a World Champion. And all of those guys were very over with the crowd at one point.

ok i feel u, but is it really a race problem tho? how many white rasslers have had the same treatment? maybe its just creative and booking not knowing what to do once they reach a point, are they really going to sit back and review one of them and say "ok this guy is at number 8, hes almost at 10, should we bring him back down cause hes black?" thats what im getting from this thread that you guys think they are doing that, maybe they are i dunno but this is a business after all

 

[Easy-E]

The writer on UpRoxx makes a great point; it should be celebrated that The Rock made it off who he was, not his race. But, that's deflecting the issue. Go, write that article and let homie address the present racism.

 

[mrken12]

ok i feel u, but is it really a race problem tho? how many white rasslers have had the same treatment?

Don't do that here. It's corny and cliched as hell. And obviously a business that is majority white will have white wrestlers not getting pushed. That's not what this discussion is about.

 

[BlackAchilles]

The right guy has come along many times. But my biggest pet peeve for reasons given for why a black wrestler hasn't been given a main event push is "he wasn't good enough". Guys like Kofi, Shelton Benjamin, Mark Henry, and MVP all had the tools to be a World Champion. And all of those guys were very over with the crowd at one point.

Only one of those who I think has a legit case IMO is MVP; Mark Henry's been extremely injury prone for the last decade, Shelton was on the mic, and Kofi might be more of a victim of Vince's big man fetish more than anything racial.

 

[Stinky Diver]

Only one of those who I think has a legit case IMO is MVP; Mark Henry's been extremely injury prone for the last decade, Shelton was on the mic, and Kofi might be more of a victim of Vince's big man fetish more than anything racial.

What about Booker?

 

[The Electric Lady]

Only one of those who I think has a legit case IMO is MVP; Mark Henry's been extremely injury prone for the last decade, Shelton was on the mic, and Kofi might be more of a victim of Vince's big man fetish more than anything racial.

Shelton is trash on the mic, but so is Swagger, and that dude got the WHC.

 

[mortuus est]

Don't do that here. It's corny and cliched as hell. And obviously a business that is majority white will have white wrestlers not getting pushed. That's not what this discussion is about.

what is it really all about gawd?